October 21st, 2004 issue #0342

A year ago, a Charlottesville woman between jobs contracted a bone infection. Because she was unemployed, Alice (not her real name) wasn't eligible to be seen at the Charlottesville Free Clinic. Nor did she go to either of the local hospitals– she did not know they have programs for indigent citizens. She felt hopeless.
"But there's nothing you can do about it," says Alice, 46. "There's no way to pay for medical treatment."